Seabirds & Cetaceans - great observations from 6th to 8th June 2017

Another amazing pelagic with almost all aimed species observed on the 1st day! Although the wind and sea conditions did not change much through these 3 pelagic days the species of seabirds observed and their behaviours varied a lot! A great number of cetacean species from the Odontoceti sub-order (toothed whales) was also a highlight of this expedition. Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis are a constant everyday.

6th June 2017 - NE wind up to 12 knots and waves up to 1 meter from same quadrant
4 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way up + 3 on the chum
6 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
2 White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
4 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - 2 on the way up
'Fino's' Petrel Pterodroma madeira/feae/deserta - too fast with size and bill too limital between both species to distinguish them
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Common Bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus
Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus
False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens

Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta

7th June 2017 - 10 knots of northerly wind and waves up to 0.7 meters from same direction
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus - briefly
2 Pterodroma sp. - 1 on the way up and 1 on the chum - both too far for a positive ID
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
>15 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
Great skua Stercorarius skua

Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus

8th June 2017 - wind between 15 to 17 knots from North and easterly waves up to 1 meter
9 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - 3 on the way up and 6 on the chum
Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa - on the way up
5 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
5 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
7 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Short-beaked Common dolphin Delphinus delphis

Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta